CALIBRATION/VALIDATION OF GOCE DATA OVER ANTARCTICA

• Main Author: R. Dietrich
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Dronning Maud Land; East Antarctica; Schirmacheroase; Syowa Station; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.538.2800; http://earth.esa.int/workshops/goce04/participants/134/paper_GOCE.Dietrich.etal.2004.pdf

European Space Agency's GOCE space gradiometer mission is anticipated to produce the mean gravity field model of the Earth with an unprecedented geoid accuracy of 1 cm RMS with wavelength at 130 km or longer. We propose an international effort for the calibration and validation of GOCE gravity gradient tensor measurements and Level 2 geopotential data product (1) in the region near Schirmacheroase, Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica, and (2) at regions near the Syowa station, East Antarctica. These two regions have been well-surveyed by gravimeters, GPS traverse, tide gauge, airborne radar, meterological and satellite stations (VLBI, GPS, DORIS). They are currently participating or propose to participate in the calibration and validation of other spaceborne sensors, including GRACE, IceSat and CRYOSAT. In this paper, we provide a description of these calibration sites, a study of geoid accuracy in the Schiramcheroase region comparing the TU Dresden regional geoid with EGM96 and GRACE gravity field models and the approach for calibration of GOCE tensor gradient measurements. It is shown that an accurate in situ geoid and other associated measurements are required to successfully conduct GOCE calibrations.